Clamping device for spectacle lenses

ABSTRACT

A device ( 10 ) for clamping a lens ( 11 ) to a spectacle frame ( 12 ) comprises a bridge ( 16 ), which is rotatable about a pin ( 19 ) fixed to the body of the frontal frame or to the nose pad carrying element of the spectacle, said bridge being provided with two opposite ends relative to said pin, of which: a first end ( 27 ) is provided with a thread suitable for cooperating with a screw ( 26 ) which is suitable for causing the rotation movement of the bridge about said pin; and the second end ( 28 ) directly cooperates with the lens, by exerting a force on the surface of said lens, said force keeping the lens pressed against a conjugate element ( 22, 24 ) which is present on the body of the frontal frame and/or of the nose pad carrying element.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a clamping device for spectacle lenses.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a device suitablefor fastening and clamp a spectacle lens respectively to the spectaclefrontal frame and/or to the nose pad carrying element, said deviceallowing the lens to be kept clamped against said elements with no needto drill and/or to mill the lens, and with no need to settle any frameor peripheral rim to the lens.

The invention can be applied specifically in the field of spectaclesmanufacturing.

BACKGROUND ART

In the spectacle manufacturing industry, there is always the need tooptimize technical methods in order to lower the spectacles weight anddimensions as much as possible and, moreover, to succeed in realizingnew aesthetical shapes and to give the opticians the greatestflexibility in fitting lenses to spectacles.

In this context, a method if known in the art according to which thelens is directly clamped to the frontal frame and/or nose pad carryingelement, in order to achieve a correct clamping of the lens and itssteadiness relative to the frontal frame and/or nose pad carryingelement, the lens is drilled and/or milled at its peripherical edge, andthe frontal frame and/or nose pad carrying element are directlyconnected and fastened to the lens by means of a through screw.

Other solutions known in the art relate to the use of joining systems.

Said solutions involve some important drawbacks and disadvantages sincethat drilling lenses, operation which is carried out by means of veryparticular drills to be used with great accuracy, often causes breakagesand cracks in the lenses, and this considerably increases spectaclesproduction and assembling costs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to obviate to the drawbacks and disadvantagesof the prior art by providing a device for clamping a spectacle lens toa frontal frame and/or nose pad carrying element which does not requirethe lens to be bored or drilled.

This is achieved by means of the features described in the main claim.

The dependent claims outline particularly advantageous forms ofembodiment of the device according to the invention.

According to the invention, the clamping device comprises a bridge,which is rotatable about a pin fixed to the body of the frontal frame orto the nose pad carrying element of the spectacle, said bridge beingprovided with two opposite ends relative to said pin, of which:

a first end is provided with a thread suitable for cooperating with ascrew which is suitable for causing the rotation movement of the bridgeabout said pin; and

the second end directly cooperates with the lens, by exerting a force onthe surface of said lens, said force keeping the lens pressed against aconjugate element which is present on the body of the frontal frameand/or of the nose pad carrying element.

First of all, such a form of embodiment allows to avoid the use ofthrough screws in the lens body for its fastening, thereby achieving thepurposes of the present invention.

Secondly, the optician has a higher flexibility in assembling the lensto the frontal frame and/or nose pad carrying element, since there is nopredetermined clamping point (as it is the case of a drill in the lens)and the lens can be clamped in many different positions conferringdifferent shapes to the spectacle according to any optical or aestheticneeds.

ILLUSTRATION OF DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparentwhile reading the following description, which has been given as anon-limiting example, with the help of the figures illustrated in theattached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematical plan view of a spectacle frontal frameprovided with a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the frontal frame of FIG. 1, without thebridge; and

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the bridge.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED FORM OF EMBODIMENT

In the figures, reference sign 10 generally indicates a clamping devicefor spectacle lenses 11.

Device 10, which is represented as placed on frontal frame 12 of aspectacle in the figures, comprises a base element 13 constituted by apair of uprights 14, 15 between which is arranged a guiding groove forbridge 16 which will be later described in more details.

Said base element 13 can be integral to frontal frame body 12, or it canbe constituted by a distinct element which is made integral to thefrontal frame body by means of welding, screwing, etc.

Each upright 14, 15 is provided with a cross through hole, tworespective holes 17, 18 being aligned to each other.

More particularly, hole 17 provided in upright 15 is threaded, whilehole 18 provided in upright 14 has a seat which is suitable forreceiving screw 19 which is engaged, in use, in the thread of hole 17.

Besides, base element 13 comprises a pair of protuberances 20, 21, eachof them starting from one of the uprights, and which are used for thecorrect location of lens 11 during the spectacle assembling, in such away which will be later described in more details.

According to this particular form of embodiment, frontal frame 12 isprovided with a set of protuberances 22, 23, 24, sidewise arrangedrelative to base element 13, and which support lens 11.

Finally, in this case frontal frame 12 is provided with elongatedelement 25, placed at the opposite side of protuberances 22-24 relativeto base element 13, and integral to frontal frame 12, said element 25acting as rectilinear guide for the translation movement of the end ofscrew 26 which cooperates with the thread arranged into hole 27 providedat one of the ends of bridge 16.

According to another form of embodiment, not shown in the figures,element 25 can be constituted by a suitable groove obtained in frontalframe body 12.

According to this form of embodiment, bridge 16 is constituted by acurved bar at one end of which is present said hole 27, while at theother end the external surface is shaped in order to obtain an edge 28which is suitable for acting, according to a predetermined angle ofincidence, against lens surface 11.

According to another form of embodiment, edge 28 can be replaced byother different structures suitable to achieve the prefixed purposes,such as, for instance, knurlings, cuttings, applied suckers, etc.

In its central portion, bridge 16 shows an extension provided withthrough hole 29 into which, in use, is introduced screw 19, the screwingof which allows bridge 16 to be clamped in a predetermined position,thus cooperating to the clamping of lens 11.

Said through hole 29 can either have a circular section, and then it canbe adapted to fit to screw diameter 19, or it can be constituted by aslot, in which screw 19 is introduced, and which allows the movement ofbridge 16 so that it can be raised or lowered between two limitpositions.

Hereinbelow, the assembling operation of lens 11 to spectacle frontalframe 12 will be described with particular reference to FIG. 1.

At the beginning bridge 16 cooperates with frontal frame 12 byintroducing the central portion of the bridge into the groove arrangedbetween uprights 14, 15 of base element 13.

Screw 19 is introduced into respective aligned holes 18, 29 and 17, andthen screwed on the thread of hole 17.

In such a position bridge 16 can swing about longitudinal axis Z ofscrew 19.

Then, screw 26 is introduced in threaded hole 27 and run in such a waythat its lower end can cooperate with rectilinear guide 25, as shown indashed lines in FIG. 1.

Thus the screwing of screw 26 causes the progressive rotation of bridge16 about axis Z according to a direction indicated by arrow A, therebyproducing the sliding of the end of screw 26 along rectilinear guide 25,the raising of the end provided with hole 27 of bridge 16 and thelowering against lens surface 11 of the end of bridge 16 provided withedge 28.

When edge 28 has contacted lens surface 11, the lens is pressed on onehand against protuberances 22, 23, 24 arranged on frontal frame body 12,and, on the other hand against protuberances 20 and 21 arranged on thebody of base element 13, thanks to the particular angle of incidence ofedge 28.

In fact, thanks to said angle of incidence the force exerted by the endof bridge 16 against the lens is divided into a main component directedtowards the protuberances 22, 23, 24 and into a secondary componentdirected towards protuberances 20, 21.

In this way, the screwing of screw 26 causes the clamping of lens 11 tofrontal frame 12 thereby achieving the purposes of the invention.

The invention has previously been described with reference to aparticularly advantageous form of embodiment thereof.

However, it appears to be clear that the invention is not limited tothis form of embodiment, and that it comprises several equivalent formsof embodiment.

For instance, according to another form of embodiment of the presentinvention bridge 16 has a central hole provided inside of the bodythereof and not inside of an extension as shown in FIG. 1.

According to another form of embodiment, bridge 16 has a generallyrectilinear shape, and it does not have a curved shape as illustrated inFIG. 1.

According to another form of embodiment the frontal frame is providedwith a threaded hole, and the end of a screw which is inserted into saidhole pushes against a bridge end.

Moreover, in the form of embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the bridge head maybe articulated, a counterpiece being provided in order to limit therotation movement.

Finally, according to another form of embodiment, the same solution usedto clamp the lens can be usede to clamp the lens to the nose padcarrying element.

All these forms of embodiment, and many others too, have to beconsidered all mechanical equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for clamping a lens to at least one of afrontal frame or to a nose pad carrying element of a spectacle,comprising a bridge rotatable about a fixed pin related to at least oneof said frontal frame or nose pad carrying element, one end of saidbridge having first means suitable for cooperating with the surface ofsaid lens to clamp between said one end and the body of at least one ofsaid frontal frame or nose pad carrying element, and the other end ofsaid bridge having second means suitable for controlling the rotationmovement of the bridge about said fixed pin to achieve the clamping andthe release of said lens.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein saidfirst means are constituted by an edge of said one end, said edge havinga predetermined angle of incidence relative to the surface of said lens.3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said first means areconstituted by said one end either being knurled or cut, or carrying atleast a sucker applied thereto.
 4. A device according to any of thepreceding claims, wherein the body of said frontal frame and/or nose padcarrying element is provided with at least a means suitable forconstituting a support for said lens.
 5. A device according to claim 1,wherein said fixed pin is placed on a base element integral to or madeintegral to the body of at least one of the said frontal frame or thenose pad carrying element.
 6. A device according to claim 5, whereinsaid base element comprises a pair of uprights provided with alignedholes into which said fixed pin is introduced, said bridge beingprovided with a hole aligned to said holes, and being in a groove ofsaid base element between said pair of uprights.
 7. A device accordingto claim 6, wherein said hole either has a circular section, or isconstituted by a slot inside of which said fixed pin is placed.
 8. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein said second means are respectivelyconstituted by a threaded hole obtained at the said other end of thebridge, as well by a screw introduced in said threaded hole, and the endof said screw, having third guiding means which enables a rectilineartranslation of said end so that at least one of the screwing orunscrewing of said screw in said threaded hole causes on one hand arotation movement of said bridge about the fixed pin, and on the otherhand a rectilinear translation movement of the end of said screw alongsaid rectilinear guide.
 9. A device according to claim 2, wherein saidfixed pin is placed on a base element integral to or made integral tothe body of at least one of the said frontal frame or the nose padcarrying element.
 10. A device according to claim 9, wherein said baseelement comprises a pair of uprights provided with aligned holes intowhich said fixed pin is introduced, said bridge, being provided with ahole aligned to said holes, and being in a groove of said base elementbetween said pair of uprights.
 11. A device according to claim 10,wherein said hole either has a circular section, or is constituted by aslot inside of which said fixed pin is placed.
 12. A device according toclaim 11, wherein said second means are respectively constituted by athreaded hole obtained at the said other end of the bridge, as well by ascrew introduced in said threaded hole, and the end of said screw havingwith third guiding means which enables a rectilinear translation of saidend so that at least one of the screwing or unscrewing of said screw insaid threaded hole causes on one hand a rotation movement of said bridgeabout the fixed pin, and on the other hand a rectilinear translationmovement of the end of said screw along said rectilinear guide.
 13. Adevice according to claim 3, where said fixed pin is placed on a baseelement integral to or made integral to the body of at least one of thesaid frontal frame or the nose pad carrying element.
 14. A deviceaccording to claim 13, wherein said base element comprises a pair ofuprights provided with aligned holes into which said fixed pin isintroduced, said bridge, being provided with a hole aligned to saidholes, and being in a groove of said base element between said pair ofuprights.
 15. A device according to claim 14, wherein said hole eitherhas a circular section, or is constituted by a slot inside of which saidfixed pin is placed.
 16. A device according to claim 15, wherein saidsecond means are respectively constituted by a threaded hole obtained atthe said other end of the bridge, as well by a screw introduced in saidthreaded hole, and the end of said screw having with third guiding meanswhich enables a rectilinear translation of said end so that at least oneof the screwing or unscrewing of said screw in said threaded hole causeson one hand a rotation movement of said bridge about the fixed pin, andon the other hand a rectilinear translation movement of the end of saidscrew along said rectilinear guide.
 17. A device according to claim 4,wherein fixed pin is placed on a base element integral to or madeintegral to the body of at least one of the said frontal frame or thenose pad carrying element.
 18. A device according to claim 17, whereinsaid base element comprises a pair of uprights provided with alignedholes into which said fixed pin is introduced, said bridge, beingprovided with a hole aligned to said holes, and being in a groove ofsaid base element between said pair of uprights.
 19. A device accordingto claim 18, wherein said hole either has a circular section, or isconstituted by a slot inside of which said fixed pin is placed.
 20. Adevice according to claim 19, wherein said second means are respectivelyconstituted by a threaded hole obtained at the said other end of thebridge, as well by a screw introduced in said threaded hole, and the endof said screw having with third guiding means which enables arectilinear translation of said end so that at least one of the screwingor unscrewing of said screw in said threaded hole causes on one hand arotation movement of said bridge about the fixed pin, and on the otherhand a rectilinear translation movement of the end of said screw alongsaid rectilinear guide.